HALO 183: The Not Remotely Gritty Reboot

[5a Violista]

Holly follows him to the

[Simulation Room].

She knows that she said she wants to see the project, but this room alone is actually pretty cool. She looks around the featureless room, walking a bit farther inside. "Like, how specific can it get?" she asks. Sure, generic beach is fun, but seeing a beach similar to her homeworld would be pretty amazing.

"Like, for example, for a beach could I say what kind of climate I want? Like, could I choose a semi-arid subtropical beach? Does it just have a default sun or can the angle and size be chosen?" Holly seems to not really like how cold the Thanksmas season seems to get and finds cold weather sad and related to painful memories in general, so a subtropical simulation would be amazing. Doesn't even need to be the beach, it just needs to be warm and sunny.

...
"Wait, can it simulate temperature, the feel of sunlight, and the subtropical smell or is it just more of a visual thing?" Thinking about what he said about a firing range made her wonder this. How real, exactly, does it make it feel? Obviously not perfectly, because it can't simulate the kickback from guns.

[billtodamax]

Not an MRI -> Felandria's Room

Via the kitchen. Nigel will take Dorota and Jessie there first, quickly assembling a plate of nachos. You two want any? Nigel himself is pretty full. Looks like there's enough leftover chilli and corn chips for them to have some if they want.

Smells pretty good!

After the kitchen he'll take them to Felandria's room, where both Reinholdt and Felandria both definitely are, having not broken containment while Nigel is gone. He'll knock on the door. Fel? You in there?

[Reinholdt]

[Beach]

"Oh it can get pretty specific..." Reinholdt says. "The examples you brought up are easy to do. You just tell it what you want and it'll modify it appropriately. It simulates all parts of things pretty well, but if you're familiar with the little nuances, you might notice it's a fake." The kickback is there, but for someone practiced with guns, they'd notice the small differences.

"Great for running experiments without causing real lab explosions I think. Computer, Beach Standard." There's a wave around them and they're standing on a beach. the sound of seagulls in the distance, the gentle roll of the waves just down the shore, the feel of the sand beneath them, the heat of the sun - it's all there. Very real. No apparent exit or end to the beach either. The terminal Rein was at is still visible, but only because he is directly interacting with it.

Reinholdt motions around at beach around them. "Pretty good, huh? Just don't ask it for food or drink. It tastes awful and isn't even filling." Being not real probably has something to do with it. "I'm nowhere near well versed enough in this technology in order to fix that problem. Anyways, why don't you give it a try? Change it up to what you wanted earlier." He turns to watch Holly test it out.

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Oh, that's too bad: she was hoping to have a coconut. Fresh coconuts at this time of year are amazing.

Holly closes her eyes, trying to imagine her favorite beach. Okay...she's got it. "Hey, Computer?" she asks. "Make the climate like it's on the border of a semi-arid zone and a savanna. Okay, good, but a little more humid."

She opens her eyes and turns towards the water. "Make the water shallower and clearer." Pointing out to the right, she adds, "Small cliffs, then a hill, then...put a lagoon right there." Then, to the left, "And the en of a large river over there. Sand...make it a little softer, with more shells and smooth rocks in it. Whiter, too. Curve the beach out, like a crescent shape..." She gestures with her hands as she explains it..."Okay. Good. Now, make the sun closer to directly overhead, a tiny bit larger, but...let's see...Oh, make the atmosphere thicker. A couple more clouds out over the ocean. And a breeze coming from...that way. And some bigger trees over there, and more palm trees over here, no, more variety in the kinds of palm trees....There, that's perfect. Thanks!"

Wait, actually, there's just one more thing: she has to take off her shoes and socks.

As she does that, she turns towards Reinholdt. "So, what do you think?"



[Not an MRI -> Not a sealed room]


"Sure," the woman Justina says. "I'll have some."

She grabs the nachos and goes on to Felandria's room, where she'll probably be put back in quarantine, since it has such a good track record of holding people safely.

[Felandria]

Not an MRI -> Felandria's Room

Via the kitchen. Nigel will take Dorota and Jessie there first, quickly assembling a plate of nachos. You two want any? Nigel himself is pretty full. Looks like there's enough leftover chilli and corn chips for them to have some if they want.

Smells pretty good!

After the kitchen he'll take them to Felandria's room, where both Reinholdt and Felandria both definitely are, having not broken containment while Nigel is gone. He'll knock on the door. Fel? You in there?

Felandria, after Rein escaped, has dozed off and taken a nap.

But the door is unlocked.

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

Reinholdt watches as Holly shows off an impressive mind for details, and watches the beach transform from something generic but nice, to something gorgeous.

"Wow. That's... Amazing really." Rein says, looking around the new setting with a bit of wonder. He's never quite been to a beach like this one before. Well, except one time, but he was underwater for most of it and didn't really get to appreciate the best parts.

After a moment's hesitation, Rein takes off his shoes and socks as well and lets his feet just sink into the warmth of the sand. "Mmmm... That's nice. Oof, I should have asked for your help a long time ago." Rein says, smiling widely at her.

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Holly shrugs, suggesting that it's not that big of a deal. "I just have a lot of good memories of beaches," she says. This beach, in particular. "...I also hate the cold weather so I imagine places like this to feel better."

The half-human gathers her skirt and sits down, so she can sit with something between her and the sand, without having it all be at an awkward angle. "The beach at night also feels really good, too." No chance of a sunburn, either.

Anyway, enough about the beach. She digs her feet farther into the sand, then turns to look at Reinholdt. "So what's this special project you're working on?" she asks. Guessing, she says, "If it's in this room, it's gotta be some kind of recreation or reenactment, right?"

[Lord Magtok]

Schemes and Sandwiches

Fel nods.

Oh, yes, indeed.

She is very floofy and eats my candy.

Are you in need of nursing?

"Nnnnno?" Magtok answers, just a little confused. Are we talking about a nurse or a pet? Why would he need a nurse when he's obviously not bleeding to death? I mean, that's the only time anyone ever turns to someone else for medical aid, right? Either you're right in the middle of dying horribly, or you take care of it yourself like a responsible adult. Anyone who can't take care of their own non-crippling injuries, illnesses, mental health, psychological well-being, and pharmacological prescriptions without the aid of a medical professional is just being lazy and inept, of course.

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

"Cold weather is the worst," Reinholdt agrees. Which reminds him it's getting pretty warm at this beach. So he takes his jacket off and lays it in the sand, sitting down on it close to Holly.

He nods at her as well when she makes her guess. "You've got it. Basically one person offering up their memories and recreating the situation for multiple people to experience. The computer is smart enough to modify outcomes if events don't happen exactly the same, so it's not just a movie either. You can interact and sort of do a What If kind of thing. Or just show someone one of those 'You had to be there' moments. At least, once it's finished." Most importantly you can run Plots from the Past. If there was any desire for such a thing.

Rein looks away from Holly out over the water. "There was a reporter who had some warnings about it though, so I made it so you could only do it with at least two people. Wouldn't want anyone stewing endlessly over things they can't change, right?"

For a moment, Rein goes quiet. Then he adds, "I had a really cool name for it, but I didn't write it down and I forgot it."

[Felandria]

Schemes and Sandwiches



"Nnnnno?" Magtok answers, just a little confused. Are we talking about a nurse or a pet? Why would he need a nurse when he's obviously not bleeding to death? I mean, that's the only time anyone ever turns to someone else for medical aid, right? Either you're right in the middle of dying horribly, or you take care of it yourself like a responsible adult. Anyone who can't take care of their own non-crippling injuries, illnesses, mental health, psychological well-being, and pharmacological prescriptions without the aid of a medical professional is just being lazy and inept, of course.

Oh, well, I’m sure you’ll meet her soon enough, she’s very sweet, so when you do meet her, be nice, please.

Nevertheless, you do have some areas of expertise that would be quite helpful to us here.

[Morty]

[Not an MRI -> Felandria's Room]

Dorota will follow Nigel out, get some nachos and go with him to Felandria's office... which turns out unlocked and less occupied than expected.

"This doesn't look good," she comments.

[5a Violista]

Simulated Beach

Huh...I can't remember whether or not I said Holly had a jacket on or not. Probably she does, because otherwise complaining about the cold would be all her fault.
She glances at Rein's biceps for a moment to register that he took off his jacket; she does the same and places her own behind her.

"That sounds like it can be really useful," she says. Because all the suggestions she would have for a name sound lame, she instead looks out at the waves as well. "To be honest, I would probably be the person repeating the same memory over and over. Or, rather, repeating the same memory until I get it right, then living out a simulated life after that."

She explains: "Like, twenty years ago, my three kids and my husband all died within six months of each other. Obviously, I blamed myself because if only I had known, I could have done something different."
Then, she shrugs and laughs. Why is she even telling this to someone she just met? she wonders. She's never told anyone about this. "Luckily, I can't change what already happened, only how I think about it. And if I could, I would probably lose all the progress I've made on getting over it, and get stuck wondering what I should have done differently."

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

The number of people who complain about the cold while not wearing jackets is surprisingly high. It's a good thing Holly isn't among them! Rein turns his head, watching Holly take off her jacket, his eyes lingering for more than a moment on the sheen of her silky smooth dark skin.

Reinholdt almost asks if that's when she got her scars, but remembers he's probably not even supposed to know about them. Instead, he just tries to give her an uplifting smile, even if it fades far too quickly. "That's pretty terrible. I'm sorry that happened to you. You have a healthy way of looking at it though. Wish I'd thought of it."

There's a moment of consideration before he decides to share a bit too. "I was a prince once, but I fell in love with and married the wrong person. My wife betrayed me along with what I thought was my best friend and they tore down the whole kingdom, killing the whole of my family and my subjects. For the longest time, I think I wasn't even mad at them. I was mad at myself. I hated that I didn't see it coming and wished I had done anything else. I certainly spent way too much time reliving that one day over and over and over..." He's told a small number of people this, but not many. But he wants to indicate that he can understand and relate on a level deeper than most.

He waves his hand around at the sun, the sand, and everything. "I'm almost certain I'd get caught up here too. Hence the two people requirement. I'm really hoping it can get used for nicer things, or even just a better understanding of each other, you know? Stuff like this. I should make your beach a mandatory tutorial level." Rein chuckles and grins at Holly.

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Fun fact! The scars were actually before that.
And it was only a couple years ago she learned how to use make-up to cover it. Before that, never learned because something something it's improper for a lady to use makeup, or it gets in the way, or something along those lines. She's only doing it now because it's convenient.

Holly seems to get his intended meaning behind telling his story. "I don't really have ownership of my way of thinking," she says, "because that's just the way my home culture views the past. If you ask me, you definitely had it worse. Betrayal's the worst thing I can think of, and..." she pauses, wondering of she's going too far: he only said that to show he can relate which means he considers them similar in terms of awfulness, but objectively, in Holly's mind, what he went through is far worse. "...and I'm sorry you had to go through it."

...
Anyway. That's enough for depressing topics, right? They're at a beach. They should be doing better than just staring out at the ocean, talking about awful things from their past. That would be an terrible hour-and-a-bit wait. It's good that Rein is so great at changing the subject.

When he waved his hand, that drew Holly's gaze back at him. When he chuckles, that brings a smile to her face. "That souns lik a fun idea, mandatory beachtime. You have to have some fun with the people you're with, so that you don't forget there's more to life than just regretting the same memory over and over. And then it could work as teaching people that they can make changes to the simulation if necessary, by forcing them to make some changes to the beach to make it however they want."

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

"I think losing a child, let alone three, is far worse. But thank you." Reinholdt shrugs and leaves it at that, with both thinking the other had it worse. The truth probably required a delve into the deeper circumstances and neither of them wanted that.

"Teaching changes huh? That's another good idea. I guess you have to be creative as a private investigator, huh? So what kind of things do you get hired to investigate?" Rein's curious now.

And clearly needs to see the idea in practice. "Computer: Sunset." He watches as the sun smoothly moves from overhead to the horizon, giving the sky hues of red and orange it didn't have as it lingers at the water's edge beautifully. Rein looks over to Holly to see what she thinks of the minor change.

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Maybe the reason Holly doesn't see that as worse is because she expects them to be in heaven, or something.

The sunset looks really good. Like, the way the reds and oranges are on the water, and on the clouds... It's nice. She appears to like it. "This is nice, it was a good change," she says. "All that's left now is to have some fun." For their tutorial.

"The thing that pays the best is finding proof that someone's spouse is cheating on them," Holly says with a sigh, "but it's not really what I like doing."
But! "The better things I've done involve investigating new diseases or invasions happening. I've done some things involving the skinwalkers, for example, but things like that frequently lead to dead-ends." And she's almost figured out how that taint stuff correlated with them works. Speaking of, that's part of the reason she's wearing slim gloves, because she got some of that on her and she doesn't want to spread it or let it travel up her arm or whatever.

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

That's not a place Reinholdt thinks he's going to go. But it would explain Holly's opinion.

Skinwalker taint is the kind of thing Holly should take care of quickly. With fire. She doesn't need that hand, right? There are ways to get replacements. "Yeah, it's hard to tell what things will lead somewhere satisfyingly deep and what will be brief, unforgettable flares."
...
Is Reinholdt still talking about Private Investigating and Nexus adventures?

Dunno, but he turns to Holly with a smile, glad she liked the sunset. "I guess the fun is mandatory. We have no choice now. Did you have a particular kind of fun in mind?"

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Don't worry, she's got a handle on it. As soon as she figures out how it works, she's going to cut off her arm and throw it into a volcano or something.

Obviously, he's talking about Nexus Adventures. What kind of adventures is an interesting question, but...Holly is actually pretty out-of-practice when it comes to flirting.

"Hmmm..." She taps her lips, thinking. "Well, we are at a beach, right?" she asks. Yes, it is. "We could go swimming, or...whatever sort of fun you normally would do at a beach."

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

Hmm. Did Rein get the wrong vibes? No, he's pretty sure Holly was showing interest in him. It's probably his fault. He didn't make himself clear enough. He knew he should have propped himself up seductively on the sand.

There's still a little time to rectify that. "There's four types of fun I can think of that happen on a beach." Rein starts leaning in a little closer. "Swimming." Each time he gives an option, the gap between them shrinks. "Volleyball." His vivid pink eyes are large and inviting now. "Suntanning." His breath is close enough the heat caresses her skin. "And making out." If Holly has not pulled away by this point, their lips will meet, pressing together with an electric warmth as Reinholdt kisses her.

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Nah, it's just because Holly sucks at flirting. She's trying to be coy while at the same time not going in too hard just in case it's all just one-sided but is too afraid to just outright say what she's thinking because she's worried that it could ruin any chances for a friendship, but also she thinks any interest she sees in him is just her projecting and besides she's not entirely sure herself she wants a fling but also she totally does want one but she's wondering that there's a chance this is all because she needs a break and if she does get one will she feel the same way? but also every relationship she's had has ended badly so probably just a fling is better because at this point it's probably her fault but even if she just tells herself to only let loose and have fun how will she stop herself from wanting more and besides what if he ever finds out she's not really a half-elf and this whole persona is basically created to keep people from finding out who she is while still being able to live a normal life, how would he feel then? And what if X or Y or Z happens, then what?...you know, the sort of stuff that happens all the time and then is later regretted.

Overthinking it then regretting it later and wondering what could have been done differently. Exactly the sort of thing they just barely talked about not doing.

Luckily, she's overthinking it right now and so remains largely indecisive as Reinholdt starts listing out their options. In addition she still finds him hot and with both their jackets off, there's even more for her to look at, and so reciprocates his lean closer.

The kiss drives out all her overthinking, leaving all that's left is wanting to kiss back.

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach]

So absolutely everything Reinholdt feels about relationships, bundled into one convenient paragraph, with one key difference. Rein's enough of a flirt for the both of them.

Her kissing back is definitely a sign that he doesn't need to think about it so much. What's there to think about? He's too busy kissing, each one deeper, longer, more passionate than the last. His lips heavy and hot, pressed into hers. His hands slowly reach out and slip around her hips and he pulls himself closer and starts to lean forward. This will most likely also lean Holly back until they're both lying down in a much more comfortable position for kissing purposes, bodies in close contact. After a while of this, he'll break the kissing, for just a moment, in part to catch his breath. "... How much fun do you want?" He asks her directly. While also kissing at her chin and her neck. That's hardly catching one's breath at all!

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach]

Holly, of course, reciprocates the kissing. Her hands go in places that would normally be okay to mention on a family-friendly forum such as the hair or shoulders or lower back, but probably shouldn't just in case they stray a little too far.
;p

"Since we have to have fun," she whispers, trying to be seductive. She glances around the sunset beach simulation..."Well, as long as nobody else comes in."

To prevent that, she first checks if he's okay with it then requests the simulation give them a curtain.

[Reinholdt]

[Simulated Beach - Real Curtains]

They can probably get away with running their hands through each other's hair.

"Since we have to..." Reinholdt agrees, telling the computer to lock the door as the Holly adds a curtain to the program.

It might be too much fun though, because Rein forgets all about Holly's train as the time passes much too quickly. Hopefully Holly remembers in time to raise the curtain and get their clothes back on.

[5a Violista]

[Simulated Beach - Drawing the curtains close]

Do you know what would have been really smart?
Setting an alarm.

Do you know what she didn't do?
Set an alarm.

Holly is very relaxed and at peace and just enjoying snuggling when she suddenly remembers and abruptly sits up. "The train."
She tosses off the curtain, and starts throwing on the most important and easiest clothes first: skirt, jacket. While doing so, she asks the computer for what time it is.

...Unfortunately, just like her player who has been in a similar situation in the past, there's just barely enough time to get to a shuttle, then get to the train - if she runs the whole time and isn't delayed by anything. Fortunately, unlike her player, the needed busshuttle isn't going to leave late and the last train isn't going to leave early so she still has a chance to make it to the last train of the night before it departs. There's not even enough time to check her make-up or hair or anything else.

Grabbing all of her things into her arms, she makes a dash across the simulated beach, telling the computer to reveal the door and unlock it. "I'll see you later, okay?" she calls back.

Wow, rude: not even a goodbye kiss.

[Reinholdt]

[Drawing the Curtains Close]

"The train? Ohh!" Reinholdt exclaims, his warm, peaceful snuggling interrupted by the marching of time.

He sits up and starts to grab his pants, but only has one leg in them by the time Holly's half-dressed and at the door. "Wait!" Rein says. "Can we meet Friday? For dinner?" He asks, stumbling after her inefficiently for a moment. He's optimistic about his chances, seeing as how she says she'll see him later, but it's possible the question doesn't register for her. Either way, he remains on the beach as she dashes out to make her train, hopefully in time. Even rude people need to be punctual.

[5a Violista]

[Drawing the Curtains Close]

Unfortunately, Holly is already out the door when she realizes what he asked. Unfortunately, there's not enough time for her to think through whether or not she actually has time Friday or not, or whatever. She calls back - hoping he can hear it - "Sure! I'll call you if I can't!" she shouts back.

It isn't until she gets into the shuttle - shortly before it leaves - that she realizes she never got his number. And she never gave hers.
The half-human woman then starts to panic - did she even get his name? before realizing that, yes, he introduced himself with that flourish. He said his name then. Ha, if he didn't do that flourish, she probably would have forgotten...what was it? Ren...or Rein something. Renault? Renaldo? Reinholdt? Reinhardt? It was one of those, she thinks. He's got to have his name show up in some record or registry somewhere, If all else fails, she could call up Magtok - he used to be in charge of HALO so he would probably either knows him or knows where to look.
But not having the number isn't a problem so long as there's no conflicts, right? She'll just have to get here early to find where he is. Or...what if they're going to meet somewhere else? She'll have to either run into him or otherwise get his number before then. Magtok's seeming like the best bet, at this point.

Sitting on the shuttle is actually the perfect opportunity to put on her shoes.
It also gives her time to plan out the rest of the week: there's actually some city council stuff she needs to catch up on: she's been putting it off really needs to finish that up. Plus, she still needs to finish fixing that hole in the kitchen wall. Maybe if she works late and then puts off anything that's not crucial for the weekend, she could make it work...

Anyway, she'll make it to the train in time, still awkwardly holding the rest of her things in her arms.

[Reinholdt]

[Drawing the Curtains Close]

"Great!" Rein calls out. She... Did say sure right? It kinda trailed off and was hard to hear the rest over the ocean waves. Holly definitely said something after that too. What was it?

Rein falls back into the sand and laughs, a stupid smile on his face. She said sure.

... Wait, she must have said which restaurant. Oh no. Rein completely missed it! He rubs his face. Maybe Restaurant Enchante? Temperance Teahouse? Or did she want to do it at her place? His place? Was he supposed to cook? Oh this was a disaster! Reinholdt would simply have to be at all the restaurants in every city so he doesn't miss it.

But wait. Should he dress up? How dressed up? What does one do on a date? Gosh it's been so long. When was the last time he was even on a date? This... Kinda counted right? He should ask someone about how to date.

... Magtok?

Hahahaha, not a chance! He was the worst. Reinholdt would rather ask a random homeless person on the street than Magtok. Well, a lot of work to be done before Friday it seems. Maybe Felandria had dating tips.

Reinholdt looks around.
Better get dressed first.

[Hattish Thing]

Entrance Hall - HALO Laboratories

Arriving alone with the latest shuttle is a man of slightly above-average height and build clad in a suit of futuristic kevlar. Layered plates of some high-tech metallic material form a kind of breastplate upon the vigilante, with the same metal having been cast into bulky gauntlets and greaves to allow for additional protection. A number of small rectangular panels have been built into the armor, most of which glow with a soft white or red LED light. A black helmet rests upon the figure's head, supported by a kevlar cowl which obscures all but the man's lower face, which is itself secured by a metallic chin-strap.

The vigilante drags a hexagonal-patterned cloak behind him as he strides forward into HALO, and a powerful looking firearm can be seen at his belt. He'll head straight towards the laboratories, looking for Nigel. Should he be approached, he'll make a calm request, his voice mechanized.



--

Spoiler: Vigilante Reference

Show

[Lord Magtok]

Oh, well, I’m sure you’ll meet her soon enough, she’s very sweet, so when you do meet her, be nice, please.

Nevertheless, you do have some areas of expertise that would be quite helpful to us here.

Magtok looks around confusedly, as if he'd been expecting someone to just jump in out of nowhere and attack him. Huh, I guess talking about a complete stranger that many times in a row doesn't guarantee they'll show up out of nowhere and tackle you to the ground. Prior experience had told our cyborg otherwise, but sure, we'll take this victory.

"Fel, I can't share a building with Rein. I admire what you're doing here and I appreciate the offer, but I just can't. It's better for everyone if I stay on the periphery."

[Felandria]

Magtok looks around confusedly, as if he'd been expecting someone to just jump in out of nowhere and attack him. Huh, I guess talking about a complete stranger that many times in a row doesn't guarantee they'll show up out of nowhere and tackle you to the ground. Prior experience had told our cyborg otherwise, but sure, we'll take this victory.

"Fel, I can't share a building with Rein. I admire what you're doing here and I appreciate the offer, but I just can't. It's better for everyone if I stay on the periphery."

Felandria pouts, just a little bit.

I mean, you don’t have to be at the base all the time to be a member.

It’s just that, you know.....

I could really use the help.